Holder for winding of ribbon-like material

ABSTRACT

A holder includes a board with cutout portions on opposite ends thereof for receiving a winding of lace, braid, or ribbon-like material. The board has a tab or projection formed in an enclosed opening on one side of the board and a plurality of tabs, some in recesses, formed on the other side of the board for holding an endless elastic band across either face of the board to retain the loose end of the lace. The tab formed in the opening includes oppositely extending hook like portions which extend around the endless elastic band to restrict the removal of the elastic band from the board.

Jan. 7, 11975 P A 6 6 OM 26 .0 Ha]- mm V. AR 0 99 ll 58 ABSTRACT g of lace, -like material. The board has a tab or gan rd to Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr.

A holder includes a board with cutout portions on opposite ends thereof for receiving a windin braid, or ribbon projection formed in an enclosed opening on one side of the board and a plurality of tabs, some in recesses, formed on the other side of the board for holdin endless elastic band across either face of the boa retain the loose end of the lace. The tab formed in the opening includes oppositely extending book like portions which extend around the endless elastic band to restrict the removal of the elastic band from the board.

MATERIAL Inventor: Jacques Harold Isaacs, Greenwich,

Conn.

Assignee: Textron Inc., Providence, RI.

Filed: Jan. 29, 1973 Appl. No.: 327,534

Int. Bh /06, B65d 85/67 Field of Search 206/49, 50, 51, 64, 805,

206/ R, 46 AP, 55

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS United States Patent Isaacs HOLDER FOR WINDING OF RIBBON-LIKE 10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures iui udunu v. 0 All ix l l c li c m H m y W m m l h. I MW 8 9 m n m l 3 7 m m 3 d 7, 2 2 2 2 my 4 m C 0 u H i H n m My Wm f M a m B S 4 7 l 5 l 3 3 9 9 w W W W 5 6 l 5 9 8 2 6 6 3 2 1 .l. l 2

HOLDER FOR WINDING OF RIBBON-LIKE MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to holders utilizing boards upon which indeterminate lengths of lace, braids, and other ribbon-like materials may be wound. Desired lengths of lace may be unwound and cut from the boards. The invention is particularly concerned with holders utilizing elastic bands to hold the free ends of lace wound on the boards.

2. Description of the Prior Art A number of holders for lace and other ribbon-like materials have been used and are described in the prior art. Examples of prior art holders or similar devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 211,172; 226,984; 1,232,955 and 2,201,921 and U.S. Pat No. 174,203. some of the prior art holders use a notch or a spring clip on a board for receiving and retaining the loose end of the lace. The notches and spring clips tend to rumple the lace as well as leaving suubstantial lengths of unrestrained lace extending beyond the notches or clips; the substantial lengths of unrestrained lace are subject to rumpling, tangling and getting caught in drawers. Other prior art holders utilize elastic bands circumscribing a board for retaining the free ends of the lace; such elastic bands must be removed by pulling or slipping over one of the ends of the board resulting inengagement and rumpling of the lace by either a hand or the elastic band. Further, elastic bands are easily misplaced or lost. The above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 1,232,955 shows an elastic band passing through a hole formed in one side of the board which prevents it from being misplaced; however, such a band could not be readily assembled or replaced when broken. Further, notches, spring clips and circumscribed elastic bands are sometimes deficient in that they do not firmly retain the free end of the lace. This results in tangling and rumpling of the lace.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, a holder has a board with opposite ends and opposite faces for supporting a winding of ribbon-like material and an elastic band with two looped ends extending around respective first and second tabs formed on opposite sides of the board. the elastic band extends across only one of the opposite faces of the board to retain a free end of the ribbon-like material.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of outward extending tabs in substantially the same plane as the board with one tab being formed in an opening on one side of the board and another tab being formed in a recess on the other side of the board. Additionally, one of the tabs has facilities, such as hook-like portions with inwardly extending ends formed thereon, for restricting the removal of the elastic band. Further, a plurality of tabs are formed in spaced locations along one side of the board so that a looped end of the elastic band may be selectively placed over one of the plurality of tabs to 'hold the free end of the ribbon-like material without leaving any substantial length of dangling material.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder made in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view ofa portion of the holder in FIG. 1 illustrating a tab with hook-like portions formed thereon for restricting the removal of an elastic band therefrom.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the holder of FIG. 1 illustrating several alternate positions of the elastic band over selected tabs formed on one side of the board.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 11, there is shown a holder including a board 10 having cutout portions 11 and 12 formed in ends thereof for receiving a lace, braid, or ribbon-Ike material 13 wound upon the board 10. The central portion 14 of the board 10 is formed in a latticelike structure while a round rib 15 is formed on the exposed edges of the board to make the board light, strong and free of sharp edges. Within an enclosed opening 16 on one side of the board, there is formed substantially within the plane of the board an outward extending tab or projection 17 over which one looped end of an endless elastic band 18 is placed. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the tab 17 has oppositely extending hook-like portions 19 and 20 with ends 19a and 20a respectfully thereof extending inward. The hook-like portions 19 and 20 and the edges of the opening 16 partially surround the elastic band 18 to restrict the re moval of the band. The spacing of the hook-like portions 19 and 20 from the edges of the opening 16 is selected to be sufficiently small to restrict the free movement of the band 18 from the tab 17. However, the spacing is sufficiently large to allow the band 18 to be removed by hand.

On the other side of the board 10, there are formed substantially within the plane of the board a plurality of outward extending tabs 22-30 spaced from one end to the other end of the board so that the other looped end 1811 of the elastic band 18 may be placed over a selected one of the tabs 22-30 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Both side strands 18a and 18b of the elastic band 18 are stretched across only one face of the board 10 to retain a free end 13a of the lace 13. The tabs 24-28 along a side edge of the board are formed within recesses 31-33 in the side so that they not extend beyond the side edge.

Preferrably the board 10 is molded from a synthetic plastic material selected for its rigidity and strength. However, other generally rigid materials, such as metal, wood cardboard, etc. may be used.

The elastic band 18 is preferably any enclosed endless elastic strand which has a size and strength selected for its suitability for the particular size of the board 10. Examples of such bands may be selected from those commonly referred to as rubber bands. Alternately, a single strand band with looped ends may be employed.

In use, the looped end 18d of the elastic band 18 is removed by hand from the tab 26 to release the free end 13a of the lace 13 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The elastic band 18 is retained on the tab 17 by the hook-like portions 19 and 20 as shown in FIG. 2. Then a selected length of lace 13 may be unwound and cut from the board 10 for use or sale. Thereafter, the elastic band 18 may be selectively replaced over one of the tabs 22-30 to stretch the band over one of the faces of the board to retain the free end of the remaining portion of the lace 13 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The tabs 17 and 22-30 are all located substantially within the plane of the board to allow both side strands 18a and 18b of the elastic band 18 to be selectively positioned on either face of the board 10. Both side strands 18a and 18b of the elastic band engage the lace 13 near the free end 13a to provide a retaining force for the free end. Also, the elastic band extending across only one face is easy to remove without contacting the lace.

Forming the tab 17 in the opening 16 in one side and the tabs 2428 in recesses 31-33 in the other side, substantially reduces the probability of the tabs snagging other materials which may engage or be engaged by the board 10.

The possibility of misplacing or losing the elastic band 18 is substantially reduced by the provision of the hook-like portions 19 and 20 on the tab 17. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the elastic band 18 is prevented from freely falling off the tab 17 by the hook-like portions 19 and 20 and edges of the opening 16 partially surrounding the band. When an elastic band is relaxed, it tends to open into a larger loop. The inwardly extending ends 19a and 20a of the-respective hook-like portions 19 and 20 capture the band 20 when the band expands into a larger loop to prevent the band from further expanding and freely falling over the hook-like portions.

When a selected length of lace is cut from the board 10, the newly formed free end of the lace may have any position on either face of the board. Spacing of the tabs 2230 on the side of the board allows the elastic band 18 to be selectively positioned to retain the lace near the free end 13a wherever it may be. Thus a long dangling end is not left to tangle with other articles or be rumpled by handling.

Since many variations, modifications, and changes in detail may be made to the embodiment described in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, the description and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A holder for receiving and retaining a ribbon-like material comprising a board having opposite sides, opposite ends and opposite faces, the opposite ends and the opposite faces for supporting a winding of the ribbon-like material;

a first of the opposite sides having an enclosed opening formed therein;

a first tab formed within the enclosed opening on the first of the opposite sides of the board;

a second tab formed on the second of the opposite sides of the board; and

an elastic band having two looped ends wherein the two looped ends extend around the respective first and second tabs and the elastic band extends across only one of the opposite faces to retain a free end of the ribbon-like material.

2. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second tabs extend outward in opposite directions in substantially the same plane as the board.

3. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein the board has a recess formed in the second side of the board with the second tab formed within the recess such that the second tab does not extend beyond the edge of the second side of the board.

4. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein the first tab has restricting means for restricting removal of the elastic band therefrom.

5. A holder as defined in claim 4 wherein the restricting means includes a hook-like portion formed on the first tab, the hooklike portion extending toward an edge on the first side of the board to partially surround the elastic band and restrict removal of the elastic band from the first tab.

6. A holder as defined in claim 4 wherein the restricting means includes a pair of hook-like portions extending in opposite directions from the first tab toward respective edges of the opening, each hook-like portion and respective edge partially surrounding the elastic band to restrict removal of the elastic band from the first tab.

7. A holder for receiving and retaining a ribbon-like material comprising a board having opposite ends, opposite sides and opposite faces, the opposite ends and opposite faces for supporting a winding of the ribbon-like material;

a first tab formed on a first of the opposite sides of the board;

a plurality of second tabs formed on the second of the opposite sides of the board, the plurality of second tabs being spaced along the second side from a first of the opposite ends to the second of the opposite ends of the board; and

an endless elastic band having two side strands and two looped ends wherein a first of the two looped ends extends around the first tab and the second of the two looped ends extends around a selected one of the plurality of second tabs and the two sides strands extend across one of the opposite faces to retain a free end of the ribbon-like material.

8. A holder as defined in claim 7 wherein the first tab and the plurality of second tabs extend outward from a central portion of the board in substantially the same plane as the board and the first tab has means for restricting removal of the elastic band therefrom.

9. A holder having a ribbon-like material wound thereon comprising a board having opposite ends, opposite sides and opposite faces;

a ribbon-like material having a free end wound on the board over the opposite ends and opposite faces;

a first tab formed on a first of the opposite sides of the board;

a plurality of second tabs formed on the second of the opposite sides of the board, the plurality of second tabs being spaced along the second side from a first of the opposite ends to the second of the opposite ends; and

an elastic band having two looped ends wherein (a) a first of the two looped ends extends around the first tab, (b) the second of the two looped ends extends around a selected one of the plurality of second tabs and (c) the elastic band extends across only one of the opposite faces to retain a free end of the ribbon-like material.

10. A holder having a ribbon-like material wound thereon comprising a board having opposite sides, opposite faces and opposite ends with cutout portions, the board having an enclosed opening formed in a first of the opposite sides and a plurality of recesses formed in the second of the opposite sides;

a ribbon-like material having a free end wound on the board over the oposite ends through the cutout portions and over the opposite faces;

a first tab substantially in the plane of the board extending into the enclosed opening from a central portion of the board;

a plurality of second tabs formed in the recesses and extending outward from the central portion of the board substantially in the plane of the board such that the plurality of second tabs do not extend beyond the edge of the second side of the board;

an endless elastic band having two side strands and two looped ends wherein a first of the two looped ends extends around the first tab, the second of the two looped ends extends around a selected one of the plurality of second tabs and the two side strands extend across only one of the opposite faces to retain a free end of the ribbon-like material; and

a pair of hook-like portions extending in opposite directions from the first tab toward respective edges of the opening, each hook-like portion and respective edge partially surrounding the elastic band to restrict removal of the elastic band from the first 

1. A holder for receiving and retaining a ribbon-like material comprising a board having opposite sides, opposite ends and opposite faces, the opposite ends and the opposite faces for supporting a winding of the ribbon-like material; a first of the opposite sides having an enclosed opening formed therein; a first tab formed within the enclosed opening on the first of the opposite sides of the board; a second tab formed on the second of the opposite sides of the board; and an elastic band having two looped ends wherein the two looped ends extend around the respective first and second tabs and the elastic band extends across only one of the opposite faces to retain a free end of the ribbon-like material.
 2. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second tabs extend outward in opposite directions in substantially the same plane as the board.
 3. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein the board has a recess formed in the second side of the board with the second tab formed within the recess such that the second tab does not extend beyond the edge of the second side of the board.
 4. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein the first tab has restricting means for restricting removal of the elastic band therefrom.
 5. A holder as defined in claim 4 wherein the restricting means includes a hook-like portion formed on the first tab, the hook-like portion extending toward an edge on the first side of the board to partially surround the elastic band and restrict removal of the elastic band from the first tab.
 6. A holder as defined in claim 4 wherein the restricting means includes a pair of hook-like portions extending in opposite directions from the first tab toward respective edges of the opening, each hook-like portion and respective edge partially surrounding the elastic band to restrict removal of the elastic band from the first tab.
 7. A holder for receiving and retaining a ribbon-like material comprising a board having opposite ends, opposite sides and opposite faces, the opposite ends and opposite faces for supporting a winding of the ribbon-like material; a first tab formed on a first of the opposite sides of the board; a plurality of second tabs formed on the second of the opposite sides of the board, the plurality of second tabs being spaced along the second side from a first of the opposite ends to the second of the opposite ends of the board; and an endless elastic band having two side strands and two looped ends wherein a first of the two looped ends extends around the first tab and the second of the two looped ends extends around a selected one of the plurality of second tabs and the two sides strands extend across one of the opposite faces to retain a free end of the ribbon-like material.
 8. A holder as defined in claim 7 wherein the first tab and the plurality of second tabs extend outward from a central portion of the board in substantially the same plane as the board and the first tab has means for restricting removal of the elastic band therefrom.
 9. A holder having a ribbon-like material wound thereon comprising a board having opposite ends, opposite sides and opposite faces; a ribbon-like material having a free end wound on the board over the opposite ends and opposite faces; a first tab formed on a first of the opposite sides of the board; a plurality of second tabs formed on the second of the opposite sides of the board, the plurality of second tabs being spaced along the second side from a first of the opposite ends to the second of the opposite ends; and an elastic band having two looped ends wherein (a) a first of the two looped ends extends around the first tab, (b) the second of the two looped ends extends around a selected one of the plurality of second tabs and (c) the elastic band extends across only one of the opposite faces to retain a free end of the ribbon-like material.
 10. A holder having a ribbon-like material wound thereon comprising a board having opposite sides, opposite faces and opposite ends with cutout portions, the board having an enclosed opening formed in a first of the opposite sides and a plurality of recesses formed in the second of the opposite sides; a ribbon-like material having a free end wound on the board over the oposite ends through the cutout portions and over the opposite faces; a first tab substantially in the plane of the board extending into the enclosed opening from a central portion of the board; a plurality of second tabs formed in the recesses and extending outward from the central portion of the board substantially in the plane of the board such that the plurality of second tabs do not extend beyond the edge of the second side of the board; an endless elastic band having two side strands and two looped ends wherein a first of the two looped ends extends around the first tab, the second of the two looped ends extends around a selected one of the plurality of second tabs and the two side strands extend across only one of the opposite faces to retain a free end of the ribbon-like material; and a pair of hook-like portions extending in opposite directions from the first tab toward respective edges of the opening, each hook-like portion and respective edge partially surrounding the elastic band to restrict removal of the elastic band from the first tab. 